Anything's Possible
by yesterday09
Summary: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup, and AO3 under yesterday09
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story. :)

Published on Wattpad under the username backthataccioup. Go read it there too please!

Description: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible.

xxxxxxx

The car dropped him off at the Agreste Tower at 4:32, just like it did every day. It was constant, carefully scheduled to give him precisely one hour at home before he'd have to get into the car again and travel to a photoshoot or publicity engagement.

Just like every other day, Adrien walked through the glass revolving door, exchanged a small nod with the doorman, got out his key card, swiped it in the elevator, and went up to the family level.

He walked out of that elevator at 4:34, and looked on the glass table in the foyer to see his schedule for the day. Sometimes a small note in Nathalie's painstakingly crisp hand would accompany it, reminding him to 'dress sharply'. There was never a note from his father.

He went to his room and dumped his bag on the floor, flopping onto the bed. He had a photoshoot today in the park, with a fashion brand his father desperately wanted to build ties with. And after that, there was a dinner scheduled with the mayor in a well-known café that pretended to be quaint and off the beaten path. Dinner with the mayor probably meant dinner with Chloé.

Maybe he'd be able to squeeze in his chemistry assignment before he was able to go out on patrol with Ladybug as Chat Noir. But usually he found it hard to restrain himself to his scheduled life once the day was done. The chance to be someone other than Adrien Agreste, and escape the crushing pressure that was placed upon him, was too hard to pass up.

It didn't hurt that Ladybug was insanely brave and adorable.

Adrien dug out his textbook, crumbling some cheese in his hand for the grumbling Plagg, and set to work. But 5:22 rolled around, and he stood up diligently, putting on a button down shirt and skinny jeans that had been laid out for him already. He stowed his chemistry work in his backpack again, and got into the elevator, descending, dropping.

He nodded at the doorman, who was a different employee this time, and every time, and stepped to the curb. 5:31. The car pulled up in front of him a moment later. The chauffeur got out and opened the door to the backseat. Dutifully, Adrien entered.

He was dropped off at the park by the Musée de l'Orangerie, and was led to a trailer where he had a different outfit laid before him. It was a casual, summery ensemble of well-tailored khaki shorts with pocket detailing, and a fitted graphic top that Adrien supposed was intended to invoke a more hip, teen vibe. It didn't, but he put it on anyway.

The hair and makeup artists coiffed his locks and gave his face an airbrushed, dewy glow. He went out to meet the photographer.

Standing outdoors by a tall tree were 3 men. One of them, a brunet with a popped collar, had a camera slung about his body. It was Pierre, a photographer who Adrien had worked with many a time before. He was quirky, but understood his art very well, and his subject's boundaries. Another, also a brunette, had round copper frames and a fine cashmere sweater that suited his 60 years of age very well. And the last man...

Adrien fought the urge to go and hug his father. Although he knew that now his father would hug back to present the image of a caring family in public, he could still remember the weeks following his mother's disappearance.

 _Flashback_

 _A younger Adrien sat on the floor of his room, tears streaming down his face. Where did his mother go, and why? Had he been bad? He'd do anything to fix that if that's what had happened, anything._

 _Eventually it all got to be too much, and a wail escaped him, his cries finally vocalized instead of held within. Sobs wracked his body and he stuck his face into his shaggy rug._

 _The door clicked open, and Adrien looked up. His father stood in the doorway, face impassive, void of emotion. Had he finally come to check on him?_

 _Adrien ran towards him, at almost Chat-like speeds. He wrapped his arms around his father, smelling his comforting cologne, feeling the fleecy warmth of his sweater, burying his tear-soaked face into his father's chest._

 _He felt warm fingers on his shoulders, and he felt his heart jump. His father had refused to touch him after the occurrence, but Adrien had thought he was just shocked. Was he finally breaking this self-imposed ban?_

 _Adrien felt himself being pushed away and realized that was not the case. Even when his son needed him so desperately, his father couldn't bring himself to offer a little comfort?_

 _"I'm trying to make some designs in the other room," Father informed him monotonously. "Would you mind keeping it down?"_

 _Adrien nodded and the door slammed shut._

 _He threw himself on his bed and put a pillow over his mouth to muffle his sobs. What was going on with father?_

 _Plagg took a rare opportunity to comfort him, floating alongside his ear and brushing against it, making him aware of at least one supportive presence._

 _End Flashback_

So instead, Adrien nodded cordially to the whole group of men. "Hello, Pierre, father," he said, inclining his head.

"Ah, Adrien, this is Jean Plaskie, chief creative officer at Desdesign," said his father.

Adrien held out his hand, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Plaskie."

Messr. Plaskie took his hand gingerly, responding, "I'm sure."

Adrien fought to keep a frown off his face. Although modeling itself wasn't too bad, posing in the park could be a trying ordeal, between the rough, ABC gum-studded surfaces and the gawking crowds. He didn't need the very man he was supposed to be trying to impress to add to that.

Pierre led Adrien to a fountain, where he was instructed to lean against it in various manners. As he sat on the cobblestones, back pressed against the stone, he saw Messr. Plaskie lean towards Pierre and whisper something.

Pierre promptly dropped his camera, and was saved only by the strap around his neck. He had an incredulous expression on his face, and turned to clarify something with the other men.

Messr. Plaskie did not seem to be budging, and even though Pierre seemed to be pleading with his eyes for Gabriel Agreste to say something, he did not. So it was with slightly shaking hands that Pierre beckoned Adrien over.

"Adrien, Messr. Plaskie would like you to try some _different poses_ that we don't normally ask models of your age to do," Pierre told him. He had panic in his eyes. "Would you be ok with that?"

Adrien trusted Pierre and knew that if the kindly photographer was trying to warn him, he should best heed it. But his father's eyes were steely and unyielding. _Don't destroy our reputation, boy._

Drawing in a deep breath, he plastered on a fake smile and responded, "Yes." His false cheer must have been too much because his father shook his head slightly. Adrien wanted to sigh. Was it not enough that he was enthusiastic in his agreement to the damn poses? Did he have to do it entirely sincerely? Adrien tried time and time again, but it was never enough. It would never be enough until he lost all of his will and was a husk of himself, a doll that his father could pose for pretty pictures. He fought the urge to ruffle his hands through his hair, knowing that would only provoke admonishment.

"So, what's the first pose you would like me to do?"

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Adrien wasn't sure how his father had let it get to this point. He was standing up against a tree, the bark digging into his bare back, clad only in khaki shorts (albeit, well-tailored and embellished ones), hands in hair, head thrown back, in a park. In public.

This was pushing very hard at his boundaries, and if Messr. Plaskie asked him to pose one more time in that annoying, condescending nasal voice he was sure he was going to snap. He was sure that, although his body conveyed nonchalance and a devil-may-care attitude, his eyes showed how dead he felt. At least, that's what he figured when Plaskie had him start posing with his eyes closed, or his head up, or in ways where you couldn't see the true emotion within them.

As he stood there, eyes closed, he listened to the sounds of the park. The burbling fountain. The swish of the grass. The click of Pierre's camera. Giggles of teenage girls. Oddly familiar giggles.

His eyes flew open and he saw Marinette and Alya, classmates of his who sat behind him and Nino in class. They were accompanied by a little girl. He knew Marinette was a fairly talented designer, but that was about it. And while he didn't know much about Alya, he was very fond of her Ladyblog.

He smiled at them, and a beat later lifted a hand to wave, not caring anymore about breaking character or his pose. This shoot was already trying to break his character.

"Hi!" came from both the girls, though Marinette almost yelped it and turned a bright red, mouth open. Adrien looked down and noticed his lack of a shirt. Oh, that would do it. He supposed that would be a shocking sight, seeing as he usually was modest, never taking his shirt off on the hottest school days like some other boys did.

"Perfect!" cried Messr. Plaskie. "I think that's the shot."

Adrien felt his lips moving into a petite scowl, before walking away from the tree and towards his classmates, shirt in hand.

"Hey guys," he said.

"Photoshoot?" responded Alya. Marinette seemed frozen still, and Adrien shrugged on his shirt again.

"Yeah. Still not sure when I'm going to do my chemistry," he joked.

"Nice running into you, _right, Marinette_?" said Alya pointedly to her friend, who seemed to snap out of her funk.

"Y-yes, very nice," said Marinette, face blooming with red.

"See you tomorrow," cried Alya, grabbing the little girl and placing her on her shoulders, making her laugh. His heart ached a little. Many years ago, his father did that willingly with him.

Adrien walked back towards the plaza with the fountain, but his father seemed to be gone. He was probably at the tower prepping for dinner among the city elite. _It's all about the reputation with him_. With a sigh, he returned to the trailer, changing back into his clothes from earlier, and wiping the makeup off his face. If he was going to see Chloé, he at least wouldn't be looking his best. It was already intolerable for him. He may as well try to get his kicks where he could.

Walking out of the trailer, the car pulled up along the street, like clockwork. 7:32. The door was opened for him and he clambered in, sighing at the formality. The mayor's home was less than 2 kilometers away, and Adrien could have used some alone time to detox from the photoshoot and before entering Chloé's lair.

a/n:

so, just about 2k words! woohoo! I have more of the story written, but I needed a logical breaking point. R&R please


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story.

Description:

Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup.

Please R&R. I really do appreciate it. And thanks to all who have followed/favorited.

Adrien moved his spoon through his French onion soup, making lazy circles and trying to distract himself from Chloé's incessant babble. She alternated between talking about herself and using her phone, and he was so grateful for the reprieves from her verbal assault that he didn't even comment on her horrendous manners and attitude towards her guest.

"Oh, and so then I went to the departments, you know, but not the commoner ones, and I found myself a nice little green Céline bag, like, the color of your eyes, and I figured…"

Chloé trailed off when a notification appeared on her phone.

"Oh my god, there's an akuma attack near the Museé de l'Orangerie and there's live footage on the Ladyblog!"

For the first time all evening Adrien looked towards Chloe, who had her phone out, enraptured by the footage. Ladybug was slinging her yo-yo around lamp posts and launching quick attacks at a villain who appeared to be carrying an umbrella. Violent winds were whipping at her. The view of the whole thing seemed to be obscured by… a wall of ice? Adrien blinked. So his vision hadn't failed him.

He looked from the footage of the fight to the stern gaze of his father, who was managing to seem fixated on the mayor while warning his son at the same time. Adrien didn't want to engage Chloé. She was already clingy enough without getting the sense that whatever she felt for him was mutual.

On Chloé's screen, a large gust of wind blew Ladybug out of the park and down one of the nearby streets. A remarkable familiar nearby street.

Ladybug disappeared from the Ladyblog feed just as she became visible on the street down below. Adrien cursed internally. He _had_ to help her, but there was just no way to transform without someone getting suspicious- and if that someone was Chloé, the entire city would know by sunrise the next day.

"Chloé, do you want to go to the other room?"

The blonde annoyance smiled widely.

"Sure thing, Adrien!"

She enveloped his hand with hers, linking their arms together and all but rubbing herself against his body. He was too focused on doing something to help out Ladybug to shudder. They walked into the living room, which had very expensive sofas and medals of service to the city strewn about. Ha. Not like the mayor had done anything against the akuma attacks.

There were lovely French doors leading out to the balcony, and Adrien rushed through them. Chloé followed close behind him, so close she was like a shadow. He barely gave any thought to her presence, too busy scoping out the scene below.

Ladybug had secured herself to a lamp post with her yoyo, but was being blown up the side of a building. Adrien was at a loss for a moment, but fear for his partner drove his brain to come up with a solution.

"Ladybug," he called softly, not daring to draw the villain's attention. The fact that all the wind was going towards her actually turned out to be lucky, if you can believe that or not (which isn't exactly hard with Ladybug involved), because his words floated right to her ears. She looked up and saw the blonde figure standing on the balcony.

"Come here and I can hide you," he said. He saw her head nod and flew into action, beginning to unbuckle his supple brown leather belt.

"Oh, Adrien, on a balcony? I should have known you had a wilder side," giggled Chloé. "All you had to do was ask."

"Not now, Chloé," he said, unaware of how powerful his voice was, a far cry from his typical soft-spoken self. She shut up immediately.

Ladybug suddenly started running around in circles, off the walls of buildings, using the street and sky as places for her travels. Combined with the villain's wind, this created a red blur, going around and around. It was impossible to distinguish where the hero actually was. Adrien was tense, waiting for the proper moment, and suddenly he knew. He stuck the belt outward into the air, and crossed his fingers, hoping for the best, hoping that this time he wouldn't be quite so unlucky as usual.

He felt a sudden weight at the end of the belt, as a red-and-black gloved hand grabbed it. Quickly, he pulled Ladybug towards him, over the balcony rail, and into the mayor's home. The whole maneuver went so smoothly it was almost like it had been practiced before, somehow.

Pushing Ladybug behind the sofa, he breathed a sigh of relief as the villain used the wind to propel herself away from the street, no doubt thinking that Ladybug had used her momentum to fling herself away.

"Thank you," said Ladybug, before looking up at her helper. For a reason unknown to Adrien, her cheeks tinted pink slightly. "I guess I held out for too long hoping that Chat would arrive and didn't mobilize my plan of attack fast enough."

Adrien felt guilt rise up in his chest. He should have been there to help her. Maybe she wouldn't have been blown about so badly. Maybe the villain would be defeated instead of just at large. Before he could say anything, Chloé ran off the balcony, shutting the doors behind her, and squealed.

"Oh my god, Ladybug, it's you! I saw the footage through the ice on the Ladyblog, but I so totally didn't put the park and my street together! Here, let's take a picture!"

At the mention of the footage through the ice, Ladybug had a look of panic in her eyes, and Adrien almost swore he heard her say, "Alya!". It did make sense that she would know her biggest and most dedicated fangirl, but the panic couldn't have been related.

Chloé seemed all too pleased to be snapping selfies with Ladybug, but Adrien knew that they had to go catch the villain before the city was destroyed.

"Chloé, I think Ladybug has to go save the city," he explained. The blonde pouted but set down her phone. Ladybug inclined her head towards Adrien.

"Thank you, Adrien," she said with a smile, before freezing a little. "I've got to be on my way. Need to track down Chat."

She neatly executed a backflip out of the window and was gone.

Adrien looked at the window from where she left with a goofy grin almost perma-frozen on his face. _Ladybug knew his name!_ He knew that his face was on a few billboards, but the fact that his lady has noticed the Adrien side of him was amazing!

He thought over her last words some more before freezing. Shoot, she was looking for Chat. Time to get going. He coughed a few times unconvincingly.

"Chloé, I'm not feeling all too well," he said, putting some fake sadness in her voice.

"Oh, Adrien, that's too bad. But we can hang out later, right? Right?"

"Sure, Chloé," he reassured her quickly. He had to get away. He nearly sprinted back to the dining room, where his father and the mayor were conversing quietly. Adrien noted the smile on his father's face and his heart fell a little. It had been a while since he'd done that near Adrien.

"Father," he intoned, then coughed, "I am feeling most unwell and would like to retire."

His father didn't even look at him, just told him, "Very well. The car should be waiting."

Adrien ran down the emergency stairs, feeling this qualified as an emergency if anything ever did, and saw the car. Time for a little smooth talking.

"Monsieur Gorilla, my father said that I could walk home tonight."

His bodyguard/chauffeur raised an eyebrow unconvinced.

"This also may have been after imbibing some alcohol, but I'll take what I can get."

The almost emotionless Messr. Gorilla's face twisted into something resembling a smile.

"Well, then, scurry on," he commanded, making a shooing gesture. Adrien wondered if his unhappiness had been that palpable today.

Adrien began to walk down the street. As soon as he was out of sight of the car, he ducked into an alleyway and pulled a snoozing Plagg out of his pocket.

"Plagg, wake up!" he whisper-shouted. His Miraculous let out a little snore. He shook him

"Geez, Adrien," complained Plagg.

"Ladybug needs me!" he cried. The black Miraculous only yawned.

"I'll give you a whole wheel of Brie when we get back," Adrien pleaded.

"Not quite Camembert but it will do," agreed Plagg.

Soon, Chat Noir stood in the alley.

"I'm an alley cat," he said to himself, chuckling. He quickly schooled his features and stopped laughing at his awesome pun. He had to find Ladybug and give her some backup.

He climbed up the pipes and onto the roofs, a black silhouette against the light of the moon. He wasn't certain why, but he felt like Ladybug would have headed towards the park. The concern she displayed for the trapper blogger Alya was not out of character, but was certainly unusual. Chat Noir bounded over the rooftops before dropping down next to a boulangerie. During the day, the quaint little shop positively bustled with activity, and smelled like fresh sourdough and cinnamon, but now the store was closed up. A metal grate designed to keep out thieves hung over the blackened windows.

Lightly, he darted into the park proper, padding over the lush green grass. He was glad he had night vision to keep his path from veering into bushes and trees. That would only attract undue attention, and he needed his stealth on his side if he was going to find Ladybug before Stormy Weather did.

He approached the frozen carousel, where chunks of ice seemed to have dropped inward. He found Ladybug there, hand pressed against the ice, whispering to the people inside it.

"Don't worry, Manon, Marinette went to go get me. I made her go home and be safe. She'll be fine. And you will be too."

Now that Chat Noir thought of it, he had seen Alya and Marinette with a little girl earlier in the park. That was really nice of Ladybug to heed a civilian's call when the villain was still at large. It must have been reassuring for the trapped people to know that saving the people and city was their hero's priority.

"Milady!" Chat whispered. Ladybug whirled around and in the same motion adopted a combat stance, yo-yo at the ready. She relaxed some when she saw that it was her partner, and beckoned him over. "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," he explained by way of greeting. "I got a little tied up."

"It's alright," said Ladybug, ever understanding. "Besides, a classmate from school gave me some help." A little smile formed on her face, and Chat wasn't sure if it was a quirk of his night vision but he swore her complexion darkened a shade.

Chat Noir tried not to betray any emotion on his face as he processed the information. He had known that Ladybug went to his school, but that honestly hadn't meant too much. There were 4 grades, after all, and many different classes, all teeming with people. But Adrien was Ladybug's classmate?

"Still," he allowed, "I should have shown up earlier."

A fierce gust of wind blew up from behind him, and if Chat hadn't had the reflexes of a cat he would have been blown away. Even so, he landed on all fours a few feet away.

"Seems our villain high- _tailed_ it over here," Chat noted.

They tried to circle Stormy Weather together, but were blown up by the wind along with some cars that had been parked on the nearby avenue. Thank goodness it was late and not many people would be out and about in such a residential neighborhood at this hour. The last thing they needed was to worry about civilians being collateral damage.

"Ladybug, any ideas?" asked Chat, standing up from the pavement.

"Do you know where the akuma is trapped?" she asked him.

Stormy Weather whirled around the corner, dark purple umbrella leading the charge. Adrien had an epiphany.

"It's her umbrella."

Ladybug nodded, before yelling, "Lucky charm!"

A red spotted towel appeared in her hand, causing both her and Chat to adopt a look of confusion? What good could a towel do in defeating this villain? It may be water absorbent but it couldn't exactly absorb wind. Chat found himself worried. Would they have to smother her? Ladybug snatched at his arm and raised it above his head.

"Hold this end of the towel!" she commanded him. No sooner had he done this than Stormy Weather sent a huge gust of wind towards them. They blew upwards into the air. Ladybug yanked at her end of the towel, turning them towards the villain.

"On the count of three, let go!"

Chat Noir nodded. Any qualms he would have had about this plan as Adrien weren't present. He had no need to fear heights; he'd land on his feet.

"One, two, three! Now!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir dropped from the sky, right on top of Stormy Weather. The umbrella was knocked to the pavement as the two heroes did what they do best- work together. Chat Noir moved to pin down Stormy while Ladybug grabbed the umbrella and snapped it in half, revealing a vile akuma that tried to flutter off, away from the crime fighting duo. Ladybug quicky ensnared in in her yoyo with an expert throw.

"No!" cried Stormy Weather, surging under Chat, who held her fast, hissing in her face.

"Time to de-evilize!" cried Ladybug. A beautiful white butterfly fluttered away.

Chat Noir found himself in the interesting position of lying on top of a very attractive meteorologist cum news anchor, who was at least 7 years his senior. He yelped and sprang off her. Ladybug shook her head in amusement. He turned to her and held out his fist.

"Pound it!" they shouted in unison. Chat could barely hold back a blush. _If only you knew how disgusting your cat could be, milady._

They both nodded at each other and bounded away, to detransform at home and grab some sleep before tomorrow. Chat Noir looked forward to lying down on his comfortable bed, comforter pulled up to his neck, Plagg dozing on a wheel of cheese, his backpack at the foot of his bed…

Adrien wanted to scream in frustration when he remembered his chemistry assignment.

a/n: please review! it motivates me. I have a few more chapters written but it might get me to update sooner. *hint hint*


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Description: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup.

I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who has left a review, favorited, or followed this story. It motivates me ;)

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The sun streamed through the open window, right into Adrien's weary green eyes. He cracked his neck experimentally, finding it sore from a night spent with a textbook as a pillow. He wasn't going to complain too much, seeing as he got four hours of sleep, which didn't always happen. But he still massaged his tender muscles even as he rose from his chair and went to the dining room for breakfast.

A small selection of food options had been set out for him- the chef's own chicken and pepper breakfast sausage, a still steaming omelette, artisan whole wheat cereal, and a small hunk of cheese. _So it seemed that the chefs had attributed Plagg's liking of cheese to Adrien_. He smiled. He didn't have to visit the fromagerie this much that way, and anything that saved him time was nice.

His father had flipped out when he discovered that Adrien was using 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, something about how it would make his hair look dead in photos. The rare moment of 'care' had tempted Adrien into using it more, but he had submitted to his father's wishes, per usual.

Munching on his omelette, Adrien saw that Nathalie had left him a note. Usually she waited until after his school day ended to give him an update on his schedule. Adrien let out a groan. She only felt the need to warn him of an event early if it was a meet-and-greet, something about ensuring he had sufficient time to get in the proper mindset. He didn't have to leave school early today, which was a relief. For all that his father seemed to be frustrated when Adrien was late to school in the mornings, the man didn't seem to mind it when Adrien 'missed his education' to model.

Natalie had booked the meet-and-greet for him in some fabric store in desperate need of patronage. Fitting his father would have bookmarked that one for a publicity stunt- anything to make the Agrestes have a well-like public image. Adrien couldn't stand these type of events with his fans. He appreciated their support, but the fact that they cared so much about him as to buy tickets and merchandise made him feel a little sick. It was easier to stomach admirers in small doses, like running into the odd fangirl while out and about.

Tucking Plagg into his pocket with a crumble of cheese to tide him over for the rest of the morning, Adrien grabbed his chemistry assignment, stuffed it in his bag, and went down to meet the car. 7:32.

* * *

After Monsieur Gorilla dropped him off at school, he entered the building with a purpose and strength at odds with his exhausted mind and body. He was full of the knowledge that Ladybug was a classmate of his, had been for quite some time. He was emboldened by this fact. Maybe he could finally piece together her identity.

Theoretically, he understood why it was safer to keep their identities secret from even one another. Practically, he understood it as well. The fewer the people that knew the truth, the fewer the people that could be corrupted or manipulated to tell or show Hawkmoth. The fewer the people that knew, the safer they would be. And most likely, if he knew Ladybug's real identity, he'd spend too much time trying to talk to her. Without knowing her identity, it could be very out of character for that to happen. For example, although he and Rose were nice enough to each other, they operated in entirely different social , Adrien might risk alienating her further than he sometimes (accidentally, mind) did when he was Chat. That happened in moments where they were dependent on each other and she could not really risk pushing him away.

But safety wasn't the primary concern of the spark of curiosity that burned inside him. Usually he did his best to tamp it down. It only seemed to get in the way of whatever was going on in his life. Nathalie and her schedules had no time for wanderlust or discovery. His father didn't need childish wonder interfering with photoshoots and networking. He needed all the time he had after school to try and cram his work in so that he'd be able to make it to the patrol on time.

Adrien was burning to know who Ladybug actually was, but the clue that she was a classmate was both alarming and reassuring. He was psyched to finally have a direction to search in. Doubt pressed at the back at his mind, though. If she was his classmate (as she herself had confirmed) how had he missed it so far? How had he failed to _spot_ Ladybug's brave and charming personality among his classmates?

He found his way to homeroom and looked around, Ms. Mendeleiev's nasally and serious voice fading instantly into white noise. Who could it be, anyway? His rational brain argued that it could be anyone, boy or girl. His own Miraculous altered his eyes and hair, physical changes, so he supposed that Ladybug's, uh, assets could be a product of the transformation. But the hormonal teenage boy part of his brain, the one that snuck glances at her impressive physique between bouts of action, subliminally knew that she was a girl. Maybe because he couldn't cope with it any other way, but still. Who could it be?

Well, he could start by ruling out people he knew Ladybug wasn't. Alya was definitely out. She ran the Ladyblog and took all the footage of said hero, plus she was trapped on the carousel during the attack. Chloé was out too, for the simple fact that he had seen them in the same room together. That indubitable fact reassured him, as Adrien was pretty sure he would be able to come to terms with anyone but Chloé being Ladybug. His mind wouldn't have been able to reconcile the two, which occupied opposite ends of his thought spectrum. He tried not to think about Chloé if possible, and he had to fight thinking about his lady.

Even as he pondered hard, his eyes began to flutter shut as his escapades from the previous night caught up with him. His head found his desk and he drifted off. Due to his slumber he failed to notice Marinette behind him, who was also dozing through attendance.

a/n: please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note:

Description: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup.

 **New news: I've published this on AO3 under yesterday09. Please check that out if you have the time.**

I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who has left a review, favorited, or followed this story. It motivates me ;)

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Adrien was distracted throughout all his classes, and it bordered on being disruptive. Girls suddenly forgot whatever they were going to contribute to class when he stared at them deeply with his luminous green eyes. Their boyfriends looked on jealously, occasionally shooting Adrien dark glares so he got the memo: back off.

The blond failed to notice all this, too focused on figuring out who Ladybug was. Teachers would sometimes have to ask him a question two or even three times before he snapped out of his daze and regained his mind enough to answer it. This led to terse and irritable teachers, and more homework assigned because of it, seeing as the students didn't finish all their work in class. Unbeknownst to Adrien, his subtle daytime sleuthing was going to add to the hours he spent in the evening focusing on schoolwork.

The frustration that came from trying to piece it all together was starting to get to him. He figured that, having narrowed it down so much already, he would coast his way to the solution. Adrien had pictured simply walking in and instantly knowing who Ladybug was. The problem was, that even devoting a significant chunk of his brainpower to sorting through the girls in his class, he couldn't think of a single one that even came close to Ladybug. Ladybug was a breath of fresh air, supremely confident in every situation, strong, kind, willful, near perfect. He just didn't know anyone like that.

Adrien had a thought that stopped all of his thoughts cold for a moment. He had been kicking himself, irritated that he hadn't noticed whose personality matched Ladybug's, but his didn't exactly match that of Chat Noir.

When he was Chat, he felt so free. He let his silliest puns fly, wasn't afraid of ruining his reputation and angering his father, wasn't burdened by hordes of fangirls chasing after him because he won the genetic lottery. He acted freer, less quiet, less shy. If his personalities were different, why shouldn't Ladybug's be as well?

Thoughts came to his mind now unbidden. Ladybug was a smart girl. An adorable, brave, kick-ass one too at that. She was the one who had come up with the concept of keeping their identities secret for the the safety of themselves and everyone around them. She could be acting differently when living as a civilian, so that nobody would suspect her.

Adrien let out a curse as he realized that he had barely gotten anywhere since where he started.

His history teacher took that moment to look at him reproachfully.

"Mr. Agreste," she scolded. "Language such as that will not be tolerated in my classroom! See to it that it does not happen again."

Adrien nodded, feeling very embarrassed. His friend Nino looked at him, eyes narrowed. Adrien had been acting oddly all day, staring at girls, lost in his daydreams or thoughts. He was going to spill, Nino decided. Enough was enough.

The bell rang for lunch, a shrill ear-splitting tone, and the students scrambled to gather up their books and belongings. Adrien had just shoved his binder into his satchel when he felt a finger tap at his shoulder.

"Dude," whispered Nino. "What is up with you today?"

Adrien shook his head slightly. "I'm tired," he said, tacking on a yawn at the end of his phrase. Nino wasn't buying that for a minute.

"Oh no, you're not getting away with that one. You've been tired before. This ain't it. Staring at all the girls, very nearly giving them heart attacks? Getting so lost in your thoughts that it takes _teachers_ a minute to get your attention? Is it a girl?"

The boys reached the cafeteria, and they each grabbed a red plastic tray from the stack before moving down to follow the rest of the line.

"I'll tell you once we get outside, deal?" Adrien bargained. Nino nodded in assent.

As he very slowly served himself a scoop of mashed potatoes, Adrien's mind whirled into action for the second time that day. He hated lying to his best friend, but he needed to keep his identity as Chat Noir a secret. So how could he keep his story as true as possible while omitting what had to be left out?

The boys found themselves on one side of a large, leafy tree that several other students were surrounding. The circumference of the trunk was such that, if positioned correctly, the other students weren't visible from your sitting position. Adrien sat and faced Nino, lowering his voice as to not stir up a fangirl craze at his next announcement. The girls in his class would definitely interpret his statement to apply to _them_ , and since he had been staring at everyone all day, they might even have 'proof'.

"Okay Nino, it is a girl."

His friend smirked; he'd been right.

"You know how I've been a fan of Ladybug for a while?"

Nino snorted derisively. "A little more than just a fan. Try obsessed?"

Adrien shot him a dirty look. "Hard not to be when she's so brave, and charming, and…"

"I get it, I get it," Nino cut him off abruptly. He'd heard this spiel a few times too many for his liking. He was appreciative of the fact that Ladybug kept saving them from monsters, but everyone admired her to the point where they would wax poetic if given the chance. Hometown hero, and all. Nino tended to get bored of hearing the same play-by-plays of her actions. His headphones helped.

"My dad had arranged a dinner appointment with the mayor, which meant that I had to deal with Chloé. I'd been annexed in the living room with her, and then Ladybug was fighting Stormy Weather nearby, and…"

Adrien paused to take a breath before gleefully whispering, "I helped her escape the villain, and she thanked me! I got to hold her hand for a few seconds too."

Nino smiled a little, rolling his eyes. "You crazy Ladybug fanboy."

Adrien shrugged, not about to deny the truth. That would only lead to a one-sided argument. Besides, Nino had sat through enough of his Lady sermons that his obsession would be irrefutable.

Both boys were oblivious to the fact that Marinette, sitting on the other side of the tree, started coughing, having very nearly choked on her sandwich. Her friend Alya asked, "Marinette? What's happening?"

She let out another cough before stuttering, "N-nothing."

a/n:

so, how do you like that? the meet and greet is next, and there's some romanceeee ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

Description: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup.

 **New news: I've published this on AO3 under yesterday09. Please check that out if you have the time.**

I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who has left a review, favorited, or followed this story. It motivates me ;)

xxxxxxx

For once, Adrien was looking forward to a meet-and-greet. Well, he just wanted it over so he could patrol with Ladybug, but the sooner the event happened, the sooner he would get to see his polka-dotted partner.

The car pulled up in front of the tower at 4:32. Adrien all but ran through the door, trying to maintain his composure. Giddiness tended to interfere with that. He nodded at the doorman and dragged his keycard through the reader in the elevator. The ride up seemed to drag on, each little bounce caused by the cables like a taunt. Finally, the little bell dinged, and the door slid open.

Adrien dashed out into his apartment, not bothering to check his schedule since he already knew about the meet and greet. He dove enthusiastically into his piles of homework, whipping through assigned readings, worksheets, paragraph responses. He was a machine, methodically responding to every question posed, in stark contrast to his earlier behavior in school. After all, if he finished his work now, he could spend more time out with Ladybug. He'd have more time to try and glean useful hints.

He was so close he could almost taste it. He could even picture it- he'd find out who Ladybug was, and casually approach her after school in some secluded corner. He'd kiss her senseless and then explain his secret identity and how he knew hers. Or maybe he'd do the explaining _before_ he started the kissing. Either way, it would be picture perfect, like something straight out of a movie or particularly cheesy novel.

Sighing, Adrien set down his last assignment, a reflection on a chapter they read in History. An outfit had been left out for him already, and he shrugged it on, too excited about what was to come in the next few hours to be vexed by the lack of opportunity for his input in what he wore. He looked rather sharp in a fitted white t-shirt covered with a steel-gray pullover sweatshirt and relaxed denim jeans. Stylish enough while still being casual and trendy. Just what the fans expected.

He rode the elevator down again, nodding at the doorman. He stepped out at the curb at 5:31, and Monsieur Gorilla was there per usual moments later. He clambered in the car for the second time that day, and was taken to the fabric store where the event was to take place. It was a cute place, slightly run-down, exactly what would increase his standings with the public. In Adrien's opinion, the public could just stuff it. They were so fickle, pleased with him one day, outraged the very next. Unfortunately for him, his father did not share that same opinion.

He walked into the door, and Nathalie was there to greet him.

"Hello Adrien," she said formally. "The barriers are going to be set up in a few. Feel free to walk around in here for a little bit, get a feel for the kind of place it is, prepare for all the fans." She smiled at him kindly, but there was an underlying message. _Don't let them down, Adrien_.

Adrien decided to take what 'liberty' he could get, and walked down an aisle filled with colorful bolts. It was the felt section, he realized. He ran his finger over a light blue bolt, wistful expression on his face.

 _Flashback_

 _Adrien sat at the table with his parents, chattering about what had happened at preschool that day. That was before it was decided that he should be homeschooled._

 _He had a big square of blue felt in his hands. His mother helped him fold it in half and trace a chalk outline inside it._

" _I want to cut it out, Mommy," he told her. She smiled at him and handed him some safety scissors._

 _He remembered how she looked on, smiling, as he struggled to follow the lines. Eventually, he had the piece cut out, an aberration of the originally traced shape, but he squealed with glee._

" _Puppet time, puppet time!" he yelled happily. His mother shushed him, but she was laughing too. He passed the felt blob to his father, who neatly stitched up the edges for him._

" _He should have a button there!" Adrien insisted, pointing to a spot on the blue finger puppet. His father obliged, and after securing the button to the puppet, slipped the creation on his finger._

" _Hello, I am Mr. Puppet," the puppet greeted, voice gruff and silly._

 _Adrien and his mother laughed and laughed at his father's antics._

 _End Flashback_

Adrien's heart hurt a little remembering such lighthearted times. His father hadn't closed himself off, and had loved him back then. If he still loved Adrien, he kept it well hidden, closed off behind a maze of walls too complex for Adrien to navigate.

Turning the corner of the aisle, he spied a familiar face, one that just a short time ago had been behind him in class.

"Marinette!" he greeted.

"Hello," she returned reflexively, looking at the price per yard on the tag of a nearby bolt of a satiny fabric. Adrien actually saw the moment she realized that someone she knew had spoken to her. Her face reddened and she looked at him bashfully.

"Oh, Adrien. H-hello."

"Looking for fabrics?" he asked. He almost kicked himself. _Of course_ she was looking for fabric. She was in a goddamn fabric store!

"Yeah. I designed something and I want to make it," she told him. After this admission, she seemed to clam up, clutching the sketchpad in her hand tightly.

"Can I see it?" he asked gently, not wanting to push her too far but genuinely curious. She had won that design contest at school for that derby hat, which had been pretty nice. What else did she have floating around in that head of hers?

Slightly reluctantly, Marinette turned the sketchpad towards him, and he drew nearer to her as to be able to see it better. It was a sleek and surprisingly trendy ensemble. It featured stretchy capris with side cutouts around the calf, and a asymmetric hoodie with zippers and small rivets. It wasn't overpowering, but something about it screamed 'cool'.

"Wow, this is very good!" he informed her.

"Thanks, but you don't have to say that," she sighed, turning away. He reached out to touch her shoulder and stop her.

"I'm not just saying that. I don't 'just say that'. Do you know the cadres of fans that have shown designs to me, hoping I'd fast track them to my father?"

Adrien took a breath and continued. "I've told people that their designs aren't that great. Not quite in so harsh of terms, but I have. I want you to know that. I think you should submit your designs for the internship."

He wasn't quite sure why he had been so fervent about his assertions of her talent. Maybe it was the way she so readily was able to set aside his praise. Maybe it was her flushed cheeks and shakes of her head. Either way, Adrien, normally content to quietly observe, felt he needed to speak up. She had real potential, and it was time she realized it herself.

Marinette smiled at him, and very quietly whispered, "Thank you."

She pulled the bolt off the rack and went away to find an associate to help her cut her selection. Adrien stood in the junction between felts and the sateens thinking. She was very talented. Adrien never asked his father for much…

He shook himself a little. Marinette was very honorable and would probably object with him parading her designs in front of his father and having them skip the selection process, even if she would be flattered. Besides, he'd never done it before, and he'd told her so. He may as well attempt to stay true to his words.

That didn't mean he wouldn't throw in a few good words or two to the people who weeded through all the internship applications and design portfolios. He was a crafty cat, and although he held himself to what morals he possessed, he couldn't follow something that didn't exist.

"Adrien, get over here!" called Nathalie from across the store. Obligingly, he made his way to the table near the front of the store. Already, a line had stretched out from the fabric store, going down the perpendicular street and then out of sight. He gulped. It might be a longer day than he thought.

a/n: i have a little more written but i'm starting to run out of ideas eep


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

Description: Between fighting crime, his distant father, and an over-scheduled life, Adrien doesn't exactly have it easy, despite all outward appearances otherwise. Can he find respite and refuge in a certain polka-dotted someone, or will he crash and burn? Anything's possible. Miraculous love square. Also published on wattpad under backthataccioup.

 **New news: I've published this on AO3 under yesterday09. Please check that out if you have the time.**

I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or its characters, but I do own this story.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who has left a review, favorited, or followed this story. It motivates me ;)

xxxxxxx

Hand cramping from signing so many papers, Adrien plastered a glittering and completely fake smile on his face as the last of the girls approached his table. He had been itching to leave more than two hours ago. What started as a quick little hour and a half type of affair had spiralled into close to four. He was supposed to meet up with Ladybug in 10 minutes, but he doubted that he'd be able to arrive on time.

"It was so nice to meet such lovely ladies," he said to the fans, and he could see the blood rush to their faces as they giggled nervously. He signed the final piece of paper presented to him with a flourish. The fans finally walked out of the store, bell above the door tinkling musically, as if celebrating with Adrien. He let out a sigh of relief before doing a double-take at the person who was standing near the register.

"Marinette, is that you?" he queried, confusion evident in his voice. She looked up at him and nodded.

"What are you doing here so late? Not that it's any of my business. If you want to spend 4 hours at a fabric store, there's nothing odd about that. Heck, I just did it. But I thought that you found your fabric ages ago," Adrien stumbled along. It didn't make any sense! It wasn't as if Marinette had been waiting up for an autograph, and he doubted that with an eye for fashion such as hers she would have had a ton of difficulty finding the right supplies.

"Well, the associates kept coming for their shifts, but decided to go get autographs," she explained.

Adrien felt extremely guilty. Even though it technically wasn't directly his fault, he felt a responsibility to her. If his father wasn't so concerned about the Agreste brand, he never would have been at the quaint fabric store that Marinette frequented, and this wouldn't have been a problem for her. Shit, this little snafu probably cost her hours of homework time, or gotten in the way of a social event. What had he done?

"Allow me to make it up to you," he insisted, walking towards her purposefully. Marinette looked confused and a little scared, unsure of his intentions. He plucked the bolt of fabric out of her hands, along with the zippers and closures and thread she'd picked up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked as he strolled up the the register.

"Making it up to you," he said, pulling out a supple Italian leather wallet. Adrien had thought that to be rather obvious.

"You don't have to do that. It was nothing too bad," she insisted.

"I want to do it. And besides, if I was bored and I had something to occupy myself with…" he trailed off. Marinette didn't really seem to know how to accept a compliment or act of kindness. He'd have to do something to change that. She was a nice girl, smart too, gave helpful explanations in class. He'd caused her day to be thrown out of whack. It was the least he could do.

The clerk ringing up the purchase was staring at Adrien with wonder and admiration in her eyes. Great. She was a fan, and had probably been cavorting around with the other cashiers and salespeople in the line, leaving Marinette to stand around for hours.

"So noble," the cashier gushed gushed. "You are so kind, Adrien!"

Even as he thanked her, saying, "I'm flattered," he gave her a look full of all things he _really_ wanted to say to her about how she had treated Marinette. The cashier broke his gaze very quickly.

After the haul had been placed in the bag, Adrien handed it to Marinette with an exaggerated bow. She let out a little laugh at his silly antics. She'd never really seen her crush be anything less than serious. They walked out the door together, and under the bright circle of a streetlamp. Adrien found the Gorilla's eyes in the car across the street and willed him to understand. Since the large man didn't come follow the two, he supposed that in his own way the bodyguard did get it. Adrien continued to walk along with Marinette, and eventually she turned to look at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked him. It came out gently, but was a bit of a reality check.

"Walking you home. What kind of 'noble young man' would I be if I left a fair maiden alone in the city at night?" he joked. His tiredness let a little bit of Chat slip out.

Chat! That reminded him, he had to meet Ladybug. He was already 10 minutes late. He hoped his lady wasn't waiting for him, sad that he hadn't shown. He snorted. Good joke, Adrien. Ladybug only saw him as a friend.

Marinette rolled her eyes at his joke, but then a startled look came upon her face. Had something he said been inadvertently inappropriate? She relaxed again. Adrien figured she probably had some sort of thing due that she just remembered about. Happened to him all the time after patrols.

They walked along in companionable silence, strides matching each other somehow although Adrien probably had Marinette by a head in terms of height. It felt instinctive and natural, like they'd been doing it all their lives together.

Adrien didn't feel awkward like he sometimes did at school. He felt that same freedom that he felt when he was Chat, but when he looked down he was still wearing denim and a sweatshirt.

He didn't need to take a look at Marinette to know she was feeling the same thing, but he did anyway. She looked achingly familiar and painfully beautiful in what paltry light was provided by the streetlights. He had to look away. _I love Ladybug_.

Finally, they reached the exterior of a bakery, lights on although its door was locked for the evening. When Marinette knocked on the door, it opened, revealing a kind looking woman who shared many features with Marinette, who smiled largely.

"Thank you," whispered Marinette, waving. Adrien waved back and the door closed, locking with a click. Upon hearing it, he sprung into action. He found an alley to the left of the bakery and transformed into Chat Noir. He had a lady to meet.

Just as he was about to scurry up a drainpipe and hit the rooftops, he heard activity on the fire escape. He willed himself to fade into the shadows, but supposed an all black wardrobe in an alley at night was close enough.

The person going down the fire escape was Marinette! She moved with a strange grace, and very quietly too, but even tiptoeing wasn't a match for Chat Noir's enhanced hearing. The fire escape was fairly rickety in its own right, only intended for emergency egress, not late night… shenanigans? Just what was Marinette doing, anyway?

"What do we have here?" he voiced aloud. Marinette froze for a moment on the fire escape before quickly descending, just as quietly. She reached the bottom and jumped down, landing neatly on the ground with little more than a muffled thump. Impressive.

"Chat Noir, is it?" Marinette asked rhetorically. "Look, I'm a huge fan. Glad that you're protecting my city. So it is with as much warmth and kindness as I can muster that I tell you: it's none of your business."

Chat was stunned, but laughed nonetheless. Where was the shy and sweet Marinette he knew? Where had she gone? In her place was an acerbically witty, graceful daredevil. That was weird, but hey, Adrien showed different facets of his personality to different people. He was fluid- firm but sweet with Chloé, shy with strangers, kind yet brutally honest with Nino.

He checked his watch again. Twenty minutes. God, he really needed to reach the meeting spot. "Alright then," Chat conceded to Marinette, before scrambling up a pipe and bounding across the rooftops, towards the bridge, their typical meeting spot.

He was so close he could almost taste it. Finally, a chance to get some more clues and figure out who his entrancing partner really was.


End file.
